The Exhibition

Leichhardt drew on his many areas of interest during his travels in Australia, keenly observing not only the flora and fauna, geography and fossils, but also the Europeans he met in colonial society and the Aboriginal people he encountered on his journeys.

From his first years in Australia, his trip from Sydney to Moreton Bay, his much-lauded Port Essington expedition, to his final tragic attempt to cross the continent, Leichhardt recorded his observations in diaries and letters, which resulted in his enduring legacy to science and the arts.

Leichhardt’s arrival in Australia and expeditions to Moreton Bay set him on his course of discovery, and the young Prussian’s professional training equipped him for his explorations into Australian science and society.